Air distributing device



Jan. 28, 1941. F. J. KURTH AIR DISTRIBUTING DI JVICE Filed Feb. 23, 1939 Patented Jan. 28, 1941 ara'ms'rnmurmc navrcu Frans J. Earth, New York, N. y., assignor to Anemostat Gorporation of America, a corpora.-

tlon of Delaware- Application February 23, 1939, Serial No. 258,080 11 Claims. (or. 93-40) This invention relates to ventilating apparatus, and has particular reference to improvements in devices for effecting the diffused delivery'of air from air supply ducts into rooms and other enclosures and, in some cases, for both the supply and exhaust of air to and from rooms and other enclosures.

One general type of device with which the in- I vention particularly is concerned, comprises a series of successively smaller, open-ended, hollow, flaring. members spaced successively forwardly of one another to provide therebetween a series of flaring passageways for flow of air therethrough. In some instances the rear, open ends I of the members are disposed relatively to each other to cause supplied air to flow' forwardly through all of the passageways. In other inst'ances'the rear, open ends of the members are disposed relatively to each other to cause the supplied air to flow forwardly through only certain of the passageways and to produce a rearward flow. of air through other of the passageways. In still other instances, air exhaust means extendscentrally through the device. In practically all instances the rearmost member, which may be of 'either flat or flaring form, includes, in surrounding relationship to the opening therein, a rearwardly extending neck through the instrumentality of which the device is connected with an air supply duct and through which supplied air flows to the device.

In mounting a device of the type mentioned the neck thereof usually is engaged telescopically with a companion neck portion of the air supply duct and is fastened thereto by bolts, screws or the like or by bayonet or equivalent joints. In any event, it is essential in most cases to have ready access to the interior of the neck of a dea vice of the type mentioned while the rearmost member of the device is operatively positioned relative to the air supply duct and relative to the ceiling or other wall through which the air supply duct extends, not only to enable proper fitting and mounting of the device during its original installation, but to permit convenient adjustments and repairs of such auxiliaries as volume control dampers, light fixture connections and the like which may be disposed within the neck of the de- 59 vice or within the air supply duct.

Heretofore it has been usual to rigidly fasten together the forwardmost flaring members of a device of type mentioned by means of struts, and to detachably fasten said forwardmost members 55 to the rearmost member by means of sci'ews extending forwardly through the rearmost member into the rear ends of the struts. This enabled removal of the forwardmost members to afford access to the neck of the device while the rearmost member was operatively positioned, pro- 5 vided there was sufflcient space between the rearmost member and the ceiling or other wall to afford access to the screws at the rear of the rearmost member, as heretofore was usually the case.

However, in many instances it now is desirable tohave the rearmost member disposed either incontact with, or closelyadjacent to, the ceiling or other wall with which the device is associated. In fact, the ceiling or other wall now frequently is recessed to accommodate the rearmost member,

particularly if it is of flaring form. In such cases, access cannot be hadto the'rear of the rearmost member. Consequently, serious difliculties have been experienced not only in properly fitting and mounting devices of the type mentioned as heretofore constructed, but in gaining access to and through the necks thereof when,

- for any reason, that has been required.

Accordingly, the general object of the present invention is to provide a device of the type mentioned embodying simple, practical, always readily accessible means for securely, detachably fastening the forwardmost members of the device as a unit to the rearmost member, thus to avoid the difflculties mentioned.

with the foregoing general object and other objects in view, which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel fea- 'tures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing anddefined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein like 40 characters of reference denote corresponding parts in related views:

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through an air distributing device embodying the features of the invention.

Figure 2 is akview similar to Figure 1 showing the forwardmost members of the device separated from the rearmost member of the device.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail section through one of the devices detachably connecting the unit comprised by the forwardmost members of the device to the rearmost member of the device.

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 44 of Fig. 3. V l 5 Figure is a perspective view of the block of one of the connecting devices and Figure 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating an alternative construction.

5 Referring to the drawing in detail, first with particular reference to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, it will be observed that the air distributing device illustrated in the present instance and designated 10 generally as A, is of a well known type comprising. a series of successively smaller, open-ended, hollow, flaring members, designated as I, I, 3, 4 and 5, spaced successively forwardly of one another to provide therebetween a series of flaring passageways, designated as a, b, c and d. It will also be observed that, in accordance with usual practice, the larger or rearmost member I in-\ portion I of an air supply duct 9 and through which air flows from said duct to the device.

As aforesaid, in some instances the rear, open 5 ends of the members of a device of the general type illustrated are disposed relatively to each other to cause supplied air to flow forwardly through all of the passageways, while in other instances said members are disposed relatively to eachother to cause the supplied air to flow forwardly through only certain of the passageways and to produce a rearward fiow of air through other of the passageways. In either case 'the device functions, generally speaking, to effect a diffused, substantially draftless distribution of the supplied air. Also as aforesaid, in some instances air exhaust means may extend centrally through the device. Moreover, in devices of the type mentioned the rearmost member may be to flat or it may be of flaring form and the members in advance thereof may have various differentdispositions relative thereto and to each other. In this connection and so far as concerns the present invention, the specific construction and mode of operation of the device is immaterial. Accordingly, the device illustrated and designated generally as A may be considered as representative of any device of the same general type presenting, as heretofore constructed, the diiflculties heretofore mentioned.

Usually the members of a device of the type illustrated are connected together by struts such as the struts designated as Ill. These struts usually extend through the forwardmost members and are flxed thereto, and that is true of the struts of a device embodying the improvements constituting the present invention. However, whereas the struts of prior devices have been connected to the rearmost member by means of screws extending forwardly through the rearmost member into the rear ends of the struts, the struts of a device constructed in accordance with the present invention are connected to the rearmost member of the device by fastening means which are always readily accessible from in front of the rearmost member. Accordingly, regardless of the disposition of the rearmost member relative to a ceiling or other wall, the unit comprised by the forwardmost members of the device may readily be separated from the rearmost member to-permit convenient access through the latter to the neck of the device and to the duct for properly and expeditiously fitting and mounting the rearmost member, as well as for making adjustments of and repairs to auxiliaries such as volume control dampers. l ht fixture connections or the likewhich may be disposed within the neck of the device or within the air supply duct. For example, screws Ii are illustrated in the present instance as being em- 5 ployed for connecting the neck I to the air sup-- ply duct neck I over which the neck I is telescopically engaged. In fitting the rearmost member, the positions of holes to be formed in the neck I to accommodate the screws ll must be 10 marked while the rearmost member of the device is held operatively positioned, and thereafter said screws must be inserted and tightened from the inside of the neck I. Obviously, by separating the forwardmost members of the device from 15 the rearmost member thereof, access may be held to the neck of the device for the purpose of marking the positions of the screw holes to be formed in the neck I and for thereafter manipulating the screws to mount the device while the rear- 20 most member is held operatively positioned.

As illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, the means for detachably connecting the struts II to the rearmost member I comprises, for each strut, of which there usually are three, a block I! fasas tened by screws or rivets H, or by any other suitable means, against the front face of the member I at a point to be engaged by the rear end portion of the related strut II when the unit comprised by the forwardmost members of 30 the device is properly positioned relative to the, rearmost member. At its outer end the block I! is inclined to have the rear end portion of the related strut engage flatly thereagainst, while formed in said block, parallel, or substantially :5 parallel, to the wall of the member I, is a screw accommodating hole I which opens through the said inclined outer end of the block. Moreover, the rear end portion of the related strut has formed transversely therethrough a hole ll 4. which alines with the hole. I when the strut is operatively positioned relative to the block II. The hole I5 is of a size to freely accommodate a screw it to be passed therethrough and threaded into the hole ll for the purpose of detachg ably fastening the strut ill to the block l2. Moreover, when the unit comprised by the forwardmost members of the device is operatively positioned relative to the rearmost member I, the hole II is readilyjaccessible through the rearmost passageway a for insertion of the screw II, and the screw, when applied, is readily accessible through said passageway for removal. Accordingly, the unit comprised by the forwardmost members of the device may readily be detached u from the rearmost member I, as illustrated in Fig. 2, to afford access to and throu h the neck of the rearmost member l for any desired purpose, and thereafter may equally as readily be fastened to said rearmost member.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the inclined, outer end portion of the block I! is recessed to provide a seat to accommodate the rear end portion of the strut, thus to facilitate proper positioning of the strut against said inclined end. Moreover, the outer side portion' of the strut ll adjacent to its rear end preferably is cut perpendicularly to the hole I! to afford a fiat face against which the head of the screw it may take fiat bearing. 7.

Since, in most devices of the type mentioned, air flows rearwardly through the rear or laterally outwardly disposed portions of the passageways, and since the irregularities of the block 7 I2 and the rear end portion of the strut ll might 2,299,747- 1 t 3 hollow iiaringjmembers infront 'ofandsom connecting portion disposed outwardly of and .each strut, a block I! fastened in any suitable "block l2 and with a companion hole -in the surrounding relationship to said opening? g the strut and with the rear edges of its side walls engaging the front face of the member I. It thus serves to cause a smooth. even, noiseless flow of all" around the block and the rear end portion of the strut. l 7

1b retain the cover 11 on the block it, the sides of the block may have suitable indentations II to accommodate suitableinwardly die v rected pr'ctuberances ll on the side walls of the According to the alternative eml'iodime'nt of the invention illustrated in Figure 6, the'mea'ns for detachably fastening the struts'flfl to'- the rearmost member i of the device comprises, for

manner against the rear-face of the rearmost. member of the device. In that .case' the rear end of each strut is cut at an inclination to engage flatly inst the front face of the member f I, and through the rear .end portion of each strut is formed a hole l5 to accommodate a screwifi; The hole I! extends from the outer side of the strut at a rearward and inward inclination through the flat, rear end thereof and aline's with a similarly extending threaded hole in the...

rearmost member I when the unit-comprised-U by the forwardmost members 'of the deviceQ-is, operatively positioned relative to W the;Jfiaarrriost' member of the device. Therefore the'; screws l8 may readily be passed through'theholes l5 in the struts and threaded into the hole's 14' in the blocks I! to fasten the unitcomprised by the forwardmost members ofthedevice to the as readily be removed to detach the said from the said rearmost member. Without further description it is thoughtthat i the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled ,injthe 1 art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion andiminor do: 3 tails ofjconst'ruction maybe resorted'to,-withandiscope of the appended claims;

I'claim:

'1. A device or the characterdescribed, com

connection with a duct, a series of open en hollow flaring members in front of and spaced from said rearmost member and from each other to provide therebetween a series of passageways communicating with said neck,.means"'rigjidly; connecting together the members of said series for attachment to and detachment from said rearmostmember as a unit, and means between said rearmost member and the rearmost .ofsaid series of members detachably mounting said upon said rearmost member. e V

2. Adevice' of the charactendescribed com prlsing'a rearmost member having an opening and aneck extending rearwardly therefrom ini-fi connection with a'duct, a seriesof'open-ended,

" to'provide therebetween "a' series of passageways connectingtogether'thei nembers of said series 7 for attachmentto and detachment from said: v rearmost'memrber as'a unit, and screw means" separate from said connecting means and cofrom member and from each other communicating with said neck, means rigidly connecting together the members of said series for attachment and detachment as -a unit-Ste and from said rearmost member, and fastening means cooperating with said connecting to detachably mount said unit upon the rearmost, member, saidfastening means being disposed between the rearmost member and the" 1 rearmost of saidseriesof members. I v

. 3. A device of the character described comnrisins'arearmost member having an opening to provide, therbetween a series of passageways;

said neck, means rigidl and a rearwardly therefrom in surroundin "ti nship to said opening for connection the uctfa'serie's of open-ended,

operating" with the latter "to vdetachably mount said uhitfupon saidrearmost member, said screw meanscbelnd between said rearmost member-andItlie-Trearmost of said series of mem bars for man pulation to attach said unit to and .to detachit from said rearmost member.

4 4'. A device ofthe' character described compris- .passageways communicating with said neck. r-,stru ts connecting together the members ofjsaid unit, blocks fixed to the rearmost member, and

screws extending through said struts andthreadrearmost member of the device, and'ma'y equally f ni 9 blocks o bly mount said unit.

" ior menipuieuonto amen said unit to and t detachit from said rearmost member. i 5. A device of the character described compris- I ing a rearmost member having an opening and. Qaneclr extendingrearwardly therefrom in surf [rounding relationship to said opening for con-'1; "nection with a 'duct, a unit comprising a series 'ofopen-ended, hollow flaring members in front of and spaced from said rearmost member'and from each other to provide therebetween a series 1' 7'0! {1 passageways communicating with said neck; 5 struts connecting together. the membersv of said .unit, blocksflxed to the rearmost member at the frontthe'reof; the rear end portions :of said. struts j gbeingseated against the outer ends of said blocks;

and screws extending through the rear end'por- I tions of said struts and threaded into said'blocks for detachably fastening said unit upon said rearmost member. I

tions of the struts. 1

' ing a'rearmost member having an opening and fa heck extending rearwardly therefrom in surgrounding relationship to said opening for connecscrews extend in the me general directionas adjasient wan ,of the rearm t mem- 'ber. surrounding relationship to said pening for IA device 'as-set forthin claim 5 in which the iouter endportions of the blocksare recessed to J provide seats to-accommodate'the rear end .por-

" strut and its related block to cause a smooth,

' and block and having the free edges of its sides disposed closely adJacent-to the front face of the rearmost member of the device.

10. A device as set forth in claim 4 in which the blocks are disposed at the rear side of the rearmost member.

11. A device of the character described comprising a rearmost member having an opening and a neck extending rearwardly therefrom in surrounding relationship to said opening for connection with a duct, a series of open-ended, hollow, flaring members in front of and spaced from said rearmost member and from each other to provide a series of passageways communicating with said neck, struts rigidly connecting together the members of said series forattachment to and detachment from said rearmost member ,as a unit, said struts having rear end portions extending rearwardly beyond the rearmost of said series of members, and means disposed between said rearmost member and the rearmost of said series of members for detachably connecting the rear end portions of said struts to said rearmost member, thereby to detachably connect said series of members to said rearmost member.

FRANZ J. KURTH. 

